Airship.



Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-3, 1910.

W. G. HENDERSON.

AIRSHIP.

APPLIOAIION FILED rum, 1910.

1,002,516. Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

6 BEETS-SHEET 3.

* wwawwm W. G. HENDERSON.

AIRSHIP.

1,002,516. Patented Sept. 5,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 0.:HENDERSON, F PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA.

AIR/SHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Application filed February 3, 1910. Serial No. 541,954.

lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that-class of air ships, that are operated bypropellers, and has for its object, flight through the air, this beingaccomplished by means of propellers that are adapted to exert adownconnected to a motor 7 ward and backward pressure upon theatmosphere and not being dependent upon any horizontal current orcurrents of air for its support, the object being, rather to break upand destroy such currents, said currents being detrimental to theequilibrium of air crafts, in the present state of the art. llaccomplish these ends by mechanism described-in this specification andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my airship. Fig. is a plan viewthereof. Fig. 3, is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, isa vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrow. Fig. 5, is a detail view of one of the cam plates on an enlargedscale. Figs. 6', 7, and 8, are detailed views, showing the progressivemovements of the trippers in connection with the cam plate shown in Fig.5. Fig. 9, is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing theconstruction and arrangementof parts of the bearing for the reversemovements.

1, is a suitable frame, supporting a horizontal drive shaft 2, which isconstantly rotated in one direction through the medium of a chain drive3, counter shaft 4, and suitable connect-ions, preferably a chain drive6,

On the counter shaft 4, are rigidly attached gears 8, meshin with gears9, inteeeves 11, (Fig. 9). This. arrangement provides a driving shaft 2,rotating in one direction and two sleeves 11, rotating in the oppositedirection. Rigidly IIlfllIltt-Ed on the drive, shaft 2, and the rotarysleeves 11 respectively, are hubs or spiders 12, and pivotally mountedonthe arms 14, 'of the hubs 12, are propeller blades 15, said bladeshaving mountedon their stems the trippers 16, which are adapted tochange the plane of the propeller blades 15, at two points during onerevolution of said blades, in the following manner: Rigidly attached tothe framework 1, are stationary circular disks or cam plates 18, havingtwo openings 19, in the direct path of the trippers 16, both of theopenings being provided with spring latches 20. Upon any of thepropeller blades 15, reaching the extreme top or bottom points of therevolution, one of the tripper arms 16, is obstructed by the end of thespring latch 20, projecting through the opening 19. This forces the armof the tripper 16, to enter,

the opening 19 (Fig. 7) and turn the propeller blade 15, through anangle of 90 (Fig. 8) or into a plane approximately atright angles withits previous position. Continuing, the tripper 16, presents its inclinededge to the end of the spring latch 20, depressing same back through theopening 19, until the tripper 16, has passed, when the spring latch 20,is again protruded through theopening 19, in the cam plate 18, ready toobstruct and turn the next succeeding tripper.

The resulting action of the foregoing arrangement is as follows: At thestart, four propeller blades 15, are at the top of their cycles,perpendicular and in a plane parallel to' the driving shaft which runsfore and aft.

The arrangement of the chain drive 3, and

gears 8 and 9, causes the two propellers amidships to rotate in anopposite direction from that pf the two remaining propellers fore andaft (Fig. 1). Traveling in opposite directions, the propeller bladespresent their flat surfaces to the atmosphere, in rapid succession, in adownward direction. This action, starting from the top, has a tendencyto break up or destroy any horizontal air currents that might exist.Also to create a partial vacuum above the center of the ship, whichvacuum, acting on the propeller blades in conjunction with the downwardpressure on the atmosphere, tends to hold the entire apparatus insuspension. The propeller blades continue their revolutions until justbefore they reach the bottom of their paths when they are again alfectedby the action of the cam plate 18, and trip pers 16, which returns themto the plane at right angles 'to the driving shaft and completes themovement to the top of the revolution with the vanes traveling edgewise.It

traveling downward, their flat surfaces are presented to the atmosphereand the conse-j have their edges only, presented to the at-- mosphere,thus meeting with no appreciable resistance.

Theforegoing, describes the means whereby the machine is lifted or heldsuspended in the air.

In order to force or propel the ship forward, it is only necessary forthe operator to shift his weight to the front or forward part of theframework. This causes, the depression of the forward part and theelevation of the after part. The vanes are then forcing the air backwardas well as downward and the resulting reaction drives the ship ahead.While in this position, should the operator lean or shift his positionto the right or left, the acting portion'of the revolution of the vaneswill be shifted accordingly, by reason of the ship being moved out ofperpendicular in relation to the earth. The tripping mechanism beingshifted accordingly, the vanes will not be brought into bearing positionuntil after they have passed the perpendicular (in relation to theearth) and having necessarily to complete a half revolution before beingturned edgewise again, will continue to exert a pressure on theatmosphere to a point beyond the said perpendicular, thus forcing theatmosphere to the elevated side of the ship and causing the same to turnin the opposite direction. To steer the ship in the other direction, theopposite of the above will suflice.

If it is desired to reversethe ship and o backward, the operator willshift his weig t to the after portion of the framework, thus vcausingthat portion to be depressed and thereby causing the propellers toresist a forward movement and sail to the rear.

It is obvious from the foregoing descripwitnesses.

tion, that the suspension of the apparatus is not dependent upon anycurrent or currents of air.

From the action of the vanes rotating in opposite directions, exerting alifting pres sure on the atmosphere on their downward stroke andtraveling edgewise on their u ward stroke, it is apparent that the shipW111 be lifted by its own mechanism and cannot be capsized or upset fromtraveling air currents, the center of gravity being below the center ofsupport.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and novel, and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with an air-ship, a plurality of pivotally mountedrotating vanes, arms rigidly secured to the stems of said vanes, springlatches at two predetermined points in the revolution of the vanesadapted to engage said arms, and to turn the said vanes through an angleof 90 degrees in the manner described and for the purpose set .forth. I

2. In combination with an air ship, a plurality of pivotally mountedrotating vanes, arms rigidly secured to the stems of said vanes, acircular disk having apertures near the periphery at its upper and lowerpoints, spring latches on the said disk near and projecting through saidapertures and adapted to engage the arms rigidly secured to the stems ofthe said vanes and to turn the vanes by means of the arms through anangle of 90 degrees in the manner set forth and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in.the presence oftwo subscribing WILLIAM G. HENDERSON. Witnesses:

M. R. VAN-WORMER,

Emma T. BOLLINGER.

